The invention relates to a load control apparatus adapted to indirectly detect an overcurrent occurring in an electric conductor element belonging to a load current circuit on the basis of an increase in temperature.
A known load control apparatus capable of detecting an overcurrent comprises a temperature sensor for each controlled electric conductor element of the load current circuit. The load control apparatus comprises an electronics circuit including a signal input terminal for each temperature sensor. The load control apparatus calculates the temperature corresponding to the output signal of each temperature sensor, and detects any overcurrent on the basis of an increase in temperature.
The problem in the above described load control apparatus is its complexity and expensiveness.